Incredibly rare creatures — kept a secret for months — born at Poland zoo. See them
After months of secrecy, the birth of four extremely rare tigers has been announced in Poland, the Wrocław Zoo said in an Oct. 18 news release.
Sumatran tigers Nuri and Tengah, some of the rarest animals on Earth, welcomed quadruplets on July 22, the zoo said, and their births were kept as a closely guarded secret.
The zoo normally withholds new animal announcements during the contentious period right after birth, but shares the good news once the offspring are healthy and beginning to develop.
Since the zoo was dealing with not only a rare species, but also a rare four-animal birth, this waiting period lasted months as the animal care teams made sure all of the cubs were developing as normal, the zoo said.
Now that all four cubs have completed their early childhood vaccinations, they are able to join their parents in their outdoor enclosure, and they explored their new home for the first time Oct. 16, according to the zoo.
The zoo shared the cubs’ first day outdoors in an Oct. 18 Facebook video.
Nuri and Tengah previously welcomed a female cub, Surya, that is now an adult, the zoo said.
This time, both parents are incredibly attentive toward the babies, and all are in good health, according to the zoo.
Paweł Sroka, head of the predatory mammals department at Wrocław Zoo, said it’s rare for male tigers to be so involved in their cubs’ early years. Not only is Tengah helping Nuri keep track of all four babies, but he is calm and gentle around them, Sroka said.
Only four zoos in Europe have welcomed Sumatran tiger cubs this year, the zoo said.
Wrocław Zoo estimates there are about 400 Sumatran tigers — a small subspecies of tigers — left in the wild, making them critically endangered.
Poaching and habitat loss contribute to their small population size, and breeding programs around the world go back decades trying to increase the species’ numbers, the zoo said.
Nuri’s great-grandmother, a tiger named Abra, was born at Wrocław Zoo back in the 1960s as part of one of these programs.
Jacek Sutryk, mayor of Wrocław, called the quadruplets’ birth an unprecedented event, and thanked the zoo staff for ensuring the health and safety of the zoo’s world sensations.
Wrocław is in southwestern Poland.
This story was originally published October 18, 2024 at 12:24 PM with the headline "Incredibly rare creatures — kept a secret for months — born at Poland zoo. See them."
